Free Take Me if You Dare (Entangled Brazen) by Nina Crespo

and slowly strolled over to him. “So is this your thing?”
    “That depends on what you mean.” His gaze swept leisurely over her from head to high heels.
    “Is dinner how you try to impress a woman?”
    “Is it working?”
    Her mind conjured up the image of him on that nice, sturdy couch and her riding every glorious inch of him. “Maybe.” Ignoring the teasing glint in his eye, she walked past him and sat down.
    He turned his attention back to the feast he’d set out on the table. “In Miami, you’d mentioned you didn’t get a chance to go out for Cuban food, so I brought you ropa vieja , roasted chicken, yellow rice, black beans, and plátanos maduros . Unless you have a preference, I thought we could share. Sound good to you?”
    Cuban food and Ethan in the same room—that sounded more than good.
    He fixed her a plate and set it in front of her on the table. Scooting forward to the edge of the couch, she picked up her fork and dug right in. She sampled the ropa vieja first and almost moaned as the flavors of green peppers, onion, and seasoned shredded beef in tomato sauce glided over her tongue.
    How had he known this dish was one of her favorites?
    His brows lowered with a contemplative expression, and then he snapped his fingers. “Drinks—I knew I forgot something. Do you want a soda? I can get one from the vending machine.”
    “No, water is fine. There’s a six-pack in the fridge.” She stared after him as he walked over near her desk and opened the refrigerator. Curiosity and a hint of jealousy prompted her to ask, “Why aren’t you back at the apartment catching up on your sleep?”
    He came back with the bottled waters and held one out to her, but when she reached for it, he didn’t let go. “Why don’t you just ask me what you really want to know?”
    She shrugged in exaggerated innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    Shaking his head, he let go of the bottle and sat next to her on the couch. The clean scent of soap and his spicy cologne added another appealing layer to the delicious smells in the room.
    “The twins are Mitch’s cousins, and they’re like sisters to me.” He opened his water and set it on the table. “Sierra, the one who came to the door while you were upstairs, is dating a pro football player. The guy’s cocky, but Mitch and I are giving him a pass for now because she’s so crazy about him.”
    “Oh…” With one leg hiked up on her proverbial high horse, she lost her footing, and the rest of her words.
    “Oh,” Ethan echoed, and then he gave her a knowing smile.
    She shifted in her seat and turned her attention to her plate. Just because he wasn’t with the twins didn’t mean there wasn’t someone else. Anxiety bundled knots in her stomach, but she forced herself to take another bite. At some point, hunger started to rule over her thoughts.
    Several minutes later, Ethan set his empty plate aside. “So, how are things going with your work?”
    She picked up her water and sat back against the cushions. “It’s going to be a bit of a push to finish, but it’s not impossible.” Remembering how she’d so easily spilled the details of her life in Miami, she asked, “So how did you end up working for Bode-Wynn?”
    “I’m good friends with Devin. Two years ago, I was about to sign my reenlistment papers for the army, but he and Drew made me a counteroffer.”
    She shifted her body more in his direction. “In Miami, you said you protect VIPs and worked with the military. Are you and Mitch here for some sort of training?”
    “No.” He sat back and rested his arm behind her along the back of the couch. “Mitch and Jax flew out this morning. They’re the instructors for the urban warfare course at Bode-Wynn’s training facility in Montana. I’ll be here for the next two weeks working in the sims to help test new equipment.”
    “You’re doing it again.”
    “Doing what?”
    “Jargon.”
    His brow crinkled with a puzzled